Oxford Flow ES axial flow valve achieves oil and gas fugitive emissions breakthrough

Virtually zero detectable emissions in industry-standard leak test

Oxford Flow, the flow control equipment specialist for oil, gas, water and industrial process industries, today announces that its pioneering ES axial flow isolation valve for the oil, gas and petrochemical sectors has excelled in fugitive emissions testing – offering a viable option to eliminate fugitive emissions from valves in critical processes.

ISO 15848-1 testing, performed at the Score Cowdenbeath laboratory, Scotland, demonstrated the ES valve had a leakage rate of 100x less than allowed by level AH C03, which is currently the highest ISO performance level for isolation valves. It is notable that most valve manufacturers test in Class B, which allows 10x more leakage than Class A.

Using helium as a test medium, the results indicated that helium levels around the valve and hydraulics were not exceeding those normally found in the atmosphere. Thus, the ES provides dramatically better fugitive emission performance than the industry-standard for isolation valves.

Unlike traditional valve designs that utilise a mechanical drive train, the ES valve does not have an external stem and is instead operated by an integral hydraulic power unit. By removing the mechanical drive train and linkages, the ES design significantly enhances the long-term mechanical integrity and reliability of the valve and eliminates maintenance costs related to stem packing. Ideal for severe service applications, the valve provides repeatable tight shutoff across a wide range of processes.

Neil Poxon, CEO at Oxford Flow said: “This is another breakthrough for the ES valve, which has fundamentally transformed valve performance. As the industry continues decarbonisation, we believe that every area of operations should be scrutinised. If you have thousands of valves leaking at a facility, you can imagine the cumulative impact of upgrading your valves on emissions. The ES is already undergoing field trials with operators in the North Sea and we hope to able to share the results of these very soon.”

Published: 31st December 2020